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dump (dŭmp)
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v. dumped, dump·ing, dumps
v.tr.
1. To release or throw down in a large mass.
2.
a. To empty (material) out of a container or vehicle: dumped the load of stones.
b. To empty out (a container or vehicle), as by overturning or tilting.
3.
a. To get rid of; discard: a fine for dumping trash on public land; dumped the extra gear overboard.
b. Informal To discard or reject unceremoniously: dump an old friend.
4. To place (goods or stock, for example) on the market in large quantities and at a low price.
5. Computers To transfer (data stored internally in a computer) from one place to another, as from a memory to a printout, without processing.
6. Slang To knock down; beat.
v.intr.
1. To fall or drop abruptly.
2. To discharge cargo or contents; unload.
3. Slang To criticize another severely: was always dumping on me.
n.
1. A place where refuse is dumped: a garbage dump; a nuclear waste dump.
2. A storage place for goods or supplies; a depot: an ammunition dump.
3. An unordered accumulation; a pile.
4. Computers An instance or the result of dumping stored data.
5. Slang A poorly maintained or disreputable place.
6. Vulgar Slang An act of defecating. Often used with take.
[Middle English dumpen, dompen, to fall suddenly, drop, of Scandinavian origin.]
dumper n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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